Credit & Debt Calculators
Credit Card Minimum Payment Calculator
Show what happens when you only pay the minimum: how the payment shrinks, how long the balance lasts and what it costs.
Time to clear paying the minimum
1200 months
- Total interest
- $57,724
- First minimum payment
- $100.00
- Total repaid
- $62,724
How this calculator works
Minimum = max(balance × minimum %, floor); balance grows by interest each month
- floor
- the smallest payment the issuer will accept
Example calculation
Illustrative example — not advice
Worked example — the credit card minimum payment calculator as it loads, using the default figures below.
- 01Enter card balance: $5,000.
- 02Enter aPR: 22.9%.
- 03Enter minimum payment: 2%.
- 04Enter minimum payment floor: $25.
- 05Read the time to clear paying the minimum from the results panel: 1200 months.
Time to clear paying the minimum: 1200 months. Total interest: $57,724. First minimum payment: $100.00. Total repaid: $62,724.
These figures come straight from the calculator above running on the values listed, so you can retype them and confirm every number yourself. Change any input and the results update immediately. Illustrative only — not a quote, offer or recommendation.
Important considerations
- Minimum payments fall as the balance falls, which is what stretches the term.
- Issuers calculate minimums differently — check your statement.
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Learn more
How Credit Card Interest Is Calculated
How card issuers turn an APR into a daily rate, why the average daily balance matters, and how to check the interest line on your own statement.
How Long Do Minimum Payments Take to Clear a Credit Card?
Why percentage-based minimum payments stretch repayment over decades, what the statement's minimum payment warning box tells you, and how much a modest increase saves.
Terms used here
Frequently asked questions
Is paying the minimum ever sensible?
Only as a short-term measure. Over any length of time it is one of the most expensive ways to hold debt.
Disclaimer
Legamoney calculators are educational tools. Results are estimates based on the figures you enter and do not constitute financial, tax or legal advice.
Last reviewed 2026-08-01